A less cumbersome alternative to typical heavy-duty statistical programs

Most statistics programs are designed by statisticians, for statisticians. These programs are feature-packed and powerful, but can overwhelm scientists with thick manuals, obscure statistical jargon and high prices. GraphPad InStat is different. InStat is designed by a scientist for scientists. With InStat, even a statistical novice can analyze data in just a few minutes. Try InStat for statistics without all the fuss.

Five reasons why you should choose InStat:

InStat conquers the learning curve by escorting you through statistical analyses. You'll master the program in just a few minutes – really.

Clear analysis choices with explanations

You don't have to know the name of the test you need. InStat helps you pick an appropriate test by asking questions about your data. If you are unsure, consult the extensive help screens, which explain the statistical reasoning in plain language.

Easy to understand results

InStat does not assume that you are a statistics whiz. It presents results in simple paragraphs, with a minimum of statistical jargon. InStat's help screens review the use of each test and explain every portion of the results.

Unique analysis checklists

With other statistics software, it is too easy to get the right answer to the wrong question. That's why InStat provides a unique analysis checklist. Double-check that your data have not violated any assumptions of the test, and that you have picked a test that matches your experimental design and really answers the question you had in mind.

A bargain

Most other statistics programs cost several hundred dollars, but we've made InStat affordable for everyone. InStat costs only $149 for single copies, with discounts for academic institutions and students.

This overview, shown here in InStat Mac (Windows is very similar), will demonstrate how easy it is to perform one-way ANOVA using InStat in just a few minutes.

Step 1: Choose data format

Before you can enter data, you first have to tell InStat what kind of data table you need. This important step makes InStat unique. Once you've chosen the right kind of data table for your experiment, InStat will be able to guide you to choose an appropriate statistical test. InStat offers three goals on the top of the screen, with more choices below. Based on your choices, you'll be able to perform different tests as shown on the right. The three goals are distinct, and you shouldn't have a problem telling InStat what kind of data you have.

For this example, we will select Compare means and Raw data.

Step 2: Enter data

Note the six step buttons at the top of the program. You can use these buttons to move from step to step in any order or you can use the arrow buttons to move in sequence. The third button goes to the next step, summary statistics.

Step 3: Summary statistics

For each column, view the mean, SD, SEM, confidence interval, etc. You can also enter the mean, sample size, and SD (or SEM) here if you have already analyzed data in another program.

Step 4: Select a statistical test

To guide you to select a test, InStat presents four questions. You would see different choices if you entered a different number of columns of data, or if you created a different kind of data table.

Based on the choice shown above, InStat tells you that it chose one-way ANOVA with post-test. If you need guidance, click Help me choose to view InStat's explanations.

Step 5: View the results

InStat presents the results using as little statistical jargon as possible.

The sixth step button shows a simple graph, suitable for getting the sense of your data and to spot errors in data entry. You cannot change or edit the graph, but can print it or copy it to the clipboard.

You don't have to follow the steps in order. When you edit data or change analysis choices, InStat instantly recomputes the results.

What people are saying about InStat...

"A colleague of mine said "Download InStat, you will like it." So I did, mostly so I could say, "Oh yes, I tried it." However I was not looking forward to learning a new program. Wow, was I surprised! You do not need to learn the program – it gently leads you along. It is exactly what I need in my Molecular Biology course. I do not want to spend time talking about how to slink around some convoluted program… ...I want to show [students] that statistics gives them a new way to look at the world. I think InStat will really help me do that."

"I would like to congratulate you on your excellent software InStat that is both a friendly and powerful statistical package. I have just ordered it and I am impressed with the "InStat Approach" in dealing with statistical data. I have used many statistical softwares (SPSS, SAS, Statistica, Statgraphics etc) and literally none can be considered more appropriate for a bioscientist than InStat."

"Slick interface and astonishingly intelligent way of handling the whole process of statistical testing. Very fast, very small hard disk requirement, very impressed."

"GraphPad's InStat steps students and statistical dilettantes through entering data into a spreadsheet-like table and selecting the appropriate statistical test. Just as important, InStat completes the process by explaining data analysis."

"Test results are easy to understand and include the question that is posed by the analysis, as well as unambiguous answers to the question. . . GraphPad Software continues its tradition of producing excellent documentation for its software products. . . InStat is an excellent software tool for the research lab. InStat is highly recommended, and should be the first statistical software program to use when analyzing data from the biomedical research laboratory."

"InStat is a very easy package with which to work. It is intended to provide an easy to use, basic level of statistical capability. It easily meets these criteria. It is very intuitive, includes useful Help information, and is inexpensive… For the user who needs to run only an occasional t-test, one-way ANOVA, linear regression or chi-square test, it is a good choice."

"I had a friend help me with the Multiple linear regression using SAS. Unfortunately he just sent me lots of numbers that I didn't understand. I decided to try the multiple linear regression function in Instat. The numbers came out exactly the same…and this time I understood what I was seeing. I can't thank you enough for making Instat. The instructions are easy to follow and the answers are easy to understand. And an added bonus…it doesn't take a statistics whiz to know what your getting. Great job! I'll recommend you to all my fellow graduate students."

InStat has all the power you need for routine statistical analyses.

"InStat, by GraphPad Software, is about the easiest statistics program I've ever seen… The program uses extensive, context-sensitive help screens to tell you what you need to know… The information is to the point, readable, and always at your fingertips… This is a program that is definitely worth considering if you have statistical needs common to the practicing clinician. It is not as powerful as some, but most of the power in the programs costing $400 or more is wasted by the typical user."

"We made the mistake of buying a more powerful and more expensive program that we were not satisfied with at all. InStat is great and so simple to use."

"InStat is a great program for the money! My lab uses it regularly."

"I am quite pleased with InStat and use it daily. Its ease-of-use makes it my program of choice over several others."

"I went through a very frustrating 1-year search using many stat packages. InStat is the only user friendly package that I found, and it performs most of the stat functions I need. I couldn't be happier. I have recommended this package to my colleagues and students."

"The InStat program is terrific! Just what bioscientists need!"

InStat takes just minutes to master.

"... this small, friendly software gives you instant access to statistical procedures … explains when to use which, and gives you quick clear results. ... learning to use the program literally takes no longer than the time needed to install it, about 45 seconds. I was entirely charmed by the simple thoroughness of this package. The range of procedures, ease of use and sound explanations of theory make it an ideal addition to laboratory software."

"InStat was deliberately designed to lead a user logically through each step of the data-analysis process, from entering data to viewing (and understanding) the results. In fact, although most statistics packages do not give users any guidance about entering data, getting data into the computer in the correct format goes a long way toward simplifying the analysis process to follow."

"I'm very pleased with InStat. In contrast to my previous experiences, now it is a pleasure (not a chore) to perform statistical analysis."

InStat can be the perfect complement to a more complex program.

"I've been using SAS, but InStat really suits most of my needs and is a lot easier to use."

"InStat is a wonderful program for my student research fellows. I also use it (prefer it) for small data sets rather than SPSS."

"Most popular program in the lab. Preferred over Systat and Abstat."

InStat is designed for scientists and students, not statisticians.

"I tested a number of statistics packages for possible use in the course. My standard test was to start with a set of data and try to analyze it without ever looking at the software documentation. If I had to look up something, then that meant the students would have to waste their time when they tried to use it. InStat was the only package that passed the test. I could completely analyze my data and, as an added bonus, develop a lot of insight into the results, all in just a few minutes. InStat has now received a complete testing during our eight-week course in which each of 22 students completed five projects, all requiring statistical analysis. InStat helped students who had just learned about inferential statistics in classrooms to feel comfortable using those tests on real data they collected in the course. The process of logically thinking through the different steps, aided by InStat's suggested analyses and interpretations, gives students a solid foundation in data analysis and interpretation that they will use for the rest of their careers."

Cross platform compatible

InStat 3.0 is available both for Macintosh and Windows. The two versions are very similar. You can open files created on one platform on the other platform with no special conversion. The program has almost identical interfaces on the two platforms, so you can switch back and forth with virtually no learning curve.

Column statistics

Mean, median, 95% CI, SD, SEM. Also tests whether the distribution conforms to a Gaussian distribution using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.

Graphing capabilities

What InStat does not do

We designed InStat to simply perform and teach basic statistical tests. Many labs find that InStat is all they need. Other labs sometimes require more advanced statistical tests, or the ability to select subsets of data from large databases. These labs will need a heavy-duty statistical package in addition to InStat. InStat does not perform two-way ANOVA or survival analysis, but Prism, our graphing and curve fitting program, does. InStat also does not perform logistic regression, stepwise multiple regression, factor or cluster analysis, or ANCOVA.